Heat takes its toll on city prep football players

Football players from both Lawrence and Free State high schools saw firsthand this week how important it was to hydrate before and during practice.

Tuesday, Free State starting quarterback Ryan Murphy was taken to the hospital after experiencing severe cramps following practice. The 5-foot-10 junior was released and returned to practice the next day.

One day later, Lawrence High defensive tackle C.J. Williams was transported to the hospital after hyperventilating during closing sprint drills. The 5-10, 200-pound senior made it to the training room before reporting that he felt overheated.

Williams recovered after receiving an IV at the hospital and is expected to return to practice next week.

Both players traveled to the hospital via ambulance for precautionary reasons.

With high temperatures and humidity in the area, LHS coach Dirk Wedd said steps to prevent dehydration should start with his players before practice even begins.

“The kids need to pre-hydrate, too,” Wedd said. “You can’t wait until practice to start drinking water and Gatorade.”

Water bottles are allowed during class for all athletes, to encourage the constant consumption of fluids.

Both Free State and Lawrence provide water stations at each drill and also multiple breaks during their two-a-day practices. LHS also offers cooling fans and tents to keep body temperatures low.

At both schools, players are allowed to get drinks any time they are not being instructed directly by a coach.

“We do everything in our power to make sure they’re hydrated,” Free State coach Bob Lisher said. “The key is to try to have them in some sort of condition before they show up to the first day of practice.”

Though the message of drinking fluids always had been preached by coaches, players from both schools seemed to hear it a little better after seeing one of their teammates affected.

“Our kids were talking today,” Wedd said, “and some of them said they didn’t walk by a drinking fountain between classes without getting two or three gulps.”

Lisher said he also had observed a change in his players’ actions.

“I saw a lot of them walking around with water bottles,” Lisher said. “I don’t think there’s going to be a problem anymore because they realize how important it is to stay hydrated.”